--- title: "Police Find Kidnapped Baby by Tracking AirPods Mom Left in Vehicle" description: "Philadelphia police took a successfully novel approach to a kidnapping case by tracking a pair of Apple AirPods left in the car used in the crime." date: "2022-09-13" modified: "2022-09-13" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/police-find-kidnapped-baby-airpods" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "airpods" - "apple" - "GPS" - "location tracking" - "the digest" --- # Police Find Kidnapped Baby by Tracking AirPods Mom Left in Vehicle ![Philadelphia police took a successfully novel approach to a kidnapping case by tracking a pair of Apple AirPods left in the car used in the crime.]() *\Image: Maurizio Pesce/Futurism\* ## Find My Baby Philadelphia police reportedly took a novel approach to a kidnapping case: tracking a pair of Apple AirPods left in the car that was allegedly used in the crime. As Philly's local [*Fox a*ffiliate reports](), the city's Special Victims Unit found a kidnapped baby after tracking AirPods the child's mother had left in her car, which was stolen along with the kiddo. Beyond those core claims, however, not a lot of information has been released, including whether the cops tracked the AirPods on the mother's phone or through Apple itself — making the case an ambiguous yet fascinating example of technological surveillance, albeit one with a happy ending. ## Police Precedent Though this appears to be one of the first times cops have used AirPod tracking in a kidnapping case, it's not the first time they've used it to find a stolen vehicle. Earlier this year, nonprofit news outfit [*Berkeleyside* reported]() that the Alameda County Sheriff's Office found a stolen car and some illegal guns after "using pings from a pair of recently stolen AirPods." Stalkers, it's worth noting, have been leveraging the power of Apple's location tracking tech since long before the police. A Las Vegas man, for instance, was [accused of using the wireless earbuds to stalk a woman]() last summer. ## AirTag, You're It AirPod tracking is also an extension of the unsettling trend of people [stalking others using Apple's AirTags](), which are meant to be used to avoid losing person items like keys or luggage. Stories about [stalkers tracking their victims]() using AirTags have become ominously common — and, increasingly, [law enforcement agencies]() have also used the technology to [track stolen property]() as well. As with any form of digital surveillance, Apple's bespoke tracking software and others like it are a double-edged sword. They can be used to help find lost or stolen items or people, but can also be used to invade others' privacy. **READ MORE:** [Police track AirPods to locate stolen vehicle with baby inside in Philadelphia, authorities say]() \[*Fox 29 Philadelphia*\] **More AirTag creepiness:** *[Woman Arrested For Murdering Boyfriend After Tracking Him With Apple AirTag]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()